Segun Lawson has been CEO of Thor since August 2011. He has led Thor’s acquisitions and financings, including the acquisition of the Segilola Gold Project in Nigeria, and oversaw the Company’s evolution from grassroots explorer to Nigeria’s first large-scale commercial gold producer. He continues to lead Thor’s growth across West Africa, with a strong focus on disciplined execution and value creation. Segun is a co-founder of African Star Resources Incorporated, where he supported financing, corporate and business development. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Geology from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, and an MBA from Cass Business School. He previously worked in oil and gas corporate finance at Noble & Company and at Premier Oil. Segun is a British-Nigerian citizen with extensive UK and West African networks.
James Philip
Chief Operations Officer
Mr Philip is a mining finance executive with 15 years’ experience across international advisory and financing transactions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Most recently, he was an Executive Director in Standard Chartered Bank’s Mining & Metals division, where he executed over 30 major transactions including mergers and acquisitions, financings across the capital structure, hedging strategies and restructurings. The combined value of these transactions exceeded US$20 billion. He brings deep expertise in structuring complex financing solutions and supporting mining businesses through growth, optimisation and change. Mr Philip holds a Master’s degree in Earth Resources & Environmental Engineering from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London.
Alfred Gillman
(FAusIMM) Group Exploration Manager
Mr Gillman holds a BSc (Hons) from the University of Western Australia and is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (FAusIMM), Chartered Professional (Geology). He has held senior management and Board roles across gold, base metals, uranium and industrial mineral exploration, with a strong track record in project generation and development. He previously served as Group Exploration Manager at Harmony Gold, where he led exploration programmes that advanced several major gold projects in Australia and Papua New Guinea. More recently, he has consulted through his wholly owned firm, Odessa Resources Pty Ltd, and has worked across the United States, Africa, Turkey, Central Asia, South America, Indonesia, China and Russia. He has prior experience in Nigeria, including work on the Segilola Gold Project.
Chris Omo-Osagie
BSc, MBA Chief Financial Officer
Chris Omo-Osagie is a senior finance leader with executive experience across North America, Europe, the Caribbean and Africa. He has held roles with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, Centrica and Molson Coors, and most recently served as Deputy Regional Chief Finance Officer for Dangote Cement Plc in Nigeria. Chris has led business transformation initiatives and brings deep expertise in financial reporting, finance operations, M&A, controls and assurance, treasury management, and corporate finance advisory. He has supported transactions ranging from US$30 million to US$45 billion, including work linked to new listings on the TSX Venture Exchange and the Irish Stock Exchange. Chris is a Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, Canada.
Louise Porteus
BSC,MBA Environmental and Social Manager
Ms Porteus has over 30 years of experience across large-scale mining, infrastructure, energy, oil and gas, agribusiness, industrial, poverty reduction and urban development projects, working with both the private sector and development finance institutions. She specialises in environmental and social performance, including the design and delivery of Environment and Social Management Plans, internationally compliant Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), Resettlement Action Plans, and stakeholder engagement strategies. Her work spans project development and implementation, with a focus on practical, compliant frameworks that support responsible operations and long-term community outcomes.
Ettienne Du Plessis
General Manager
Mr Du Plessis holds a BSc and an MBA from the University of Potchefstroom for CHE (South Africa) and is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG). He has a successful track record in senior leadership roles in gold mining and brownfields exploration. He previously served as Vice President (Mine Exploration) at Barrick Gold, leading brownfields exploration and mine geology teams across the company’s global operations. Mr Du Plessis brings extensive hands-on experience in gold mine geology, resource growth, and exploration strategy, and is recognised for successfully leading large, diverse technical teams across multiple regions and operating environments.
Adrian Coates
MA, MBA Non-Executive Chairman
Adrian Coates has over 25 years’ experience in the mining sector across banking, advisory and non-executive roles. He was Global Sector Head of Resources and Energy at HSBC (Global Banking and Markets) until 2008, with strategic responsibility for major clients worldwide, and led multiple large-scale metals and mining transactions. He has also held senior roles at UBS, Warrior International and Credit Suisse First Boston, specialising in resources. At UBS Investment Bank London, he originated landmark transactions including the Billiton IPO. Adrian has served as Senior Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair of JKX Oil & Gas plc, and as an independent non-executive director of multiple listed resources companies. He holds an MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge and an MSc (MBA) from London Business School.
Dr. Julian Barnes
BSc,MBA Non Executive Director
Dr Barnes has 35 years of global resources experience across more than 52 countries and over 26 years specialising in bank due diligence for many of the world’s leading resource lending institutions. He co-founded Resource Service Group (later RSG Global) in 1986. In 2004, he joined Dundee Precious Metals Inc., leading worldwide exploration, project acquisition and investment due diligence. He has since worked as a specialist consultant, responsible for technical oversight spanning exploration, project management and development, as well as the delivery and review of Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) studies and due diligence programmes. Dr Barnes brings deep expertise in independent technical reviews, project evaluation and risk assessment for major mining companies and financial institutions globally.
Collin Ellison
BSc, CEng Non Executive Director
Mr Ellison is a Mining Engineer with over 40 years of experience in mine design, construction, project implementation and operations. He has held senior and executive responsibilities across the full project lifecycle, from Definitive Feasibility Study and project finance through to construction and production. His experience includes the development of seven underground and open-pit mines across Africa, Australia, South East Asia, Central Asia and North America. He has also managed feasibility studies for major assets later developed by others, including the Olympic Dam life-of-mine study for Western Mining Corporation (later acquired by BHP Billiton). In West Africa, he served as President & CEO of Goldbelt Resources (Inata, Burkina Faso) and President & CEO of PMI Gold Corporation (Obatan, Ghana), which was acquired by Asanko Gold.
Chief Kayode Aderinokun
Non-Executive Director
Chief Kayode Aderinokun is a traditional Chief and accomplished Nigerian business leader with over 35 years’ experience. He is Chairman of First Marina Trust Limited, a Central Bank-regulated financial services institution in Nigeria. He is also a prominent figure in the Nigerian mining sector, having led initiatives including the first commercial exploration programme at the Segilola Gold Project. He is a founder shareholder of Tropical Mines Limited and Segilola Resources Operating Limited, bringing significant in-country knowledge and long-standing relationships across Nigeria’s mining and financial services communities. Beyond business, he is an accomplished writer and served as Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors. He founded the Fencing Federation of Nigeria and previously served as a Special Adviser to the Government of Osun State.
Franklin Edochie
Non-Executive Director
Mr Edochie is Senior Vice President and Acting Head of the Metals & Mining desk at Africa Finance Corporation (AFC). He is a resource finance specialist with over 18 years of experience across resources, metals and mining, with a strong focus on Africa. He has originated, structured and executed transactions exceeding US$3 billion, spanning project finance, corporate finance, acquisition facilities and private equity, supporting precious metals, mining and infrastructure projects. At AFC, he has contributed to portfolio growth and diversification, built high-value transaction pipelines and led cross-sector collaboration to deliver complex deals. His experience includes supporting landmark transactions that have advanced the mining sector and elements of the energy transition across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Folorunso “Folli” Adeoye
Non Executive Director
Folorunso “Folli” Adeoye is the co-founder and President of Superior Petroleum Limited, a Nigerian downstream oil and gas company. He also co-founded Pacific Merchant Bank Limited in 1989, which later merged into Unity Bank Plc. He has served as a Special Adviser to the Osun State Government on development matters. Mr Adeoye has over 25 years’ involvement in Nigeria’s mining sector and co-founded Pineridge Nigeria Limited to advance prospective projects through technical and financial partnerships, including joint ventures with the Nigerian Mining Corporation. He helped pioneer modern standards in gold exploration in Nigeria through Tropical Mines Limited, the original indigenous owners of the Segilola Gold Project. He joins Thor’s board with over 40 years of experience doing business in Nigeria and a strong national network.
Segun Lawson
BSc, MBA Chief Executive Officer and Director
Segun Lawson has been CEO of Thor since August 2011. He has led Thor’s acquisitions and financings, including the acquisition of the Segilola Gold Project in Nigeria, and oversaw the Company’s evolution from grassroots explorer to Nigeria’s first large-scale commercial gold producer. He continues to lead Thor’s growth across West Africa, with a strong focus on disciplined execution and value creation. Segun is a co-founder of African Star Resources Incorporated, where he supported financing, corporate and business development. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Geology from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, and an MBA from Cass Business School. He previously worked in oil and gas corporate finance at Noble & Company and at Premier Oil. Segun is a British-Nigerian citizen with extensive UK and West African networks.
